February 2, 1995
Two college freshman get on an elevator at a distinguished university. One is a black man, the other is a white woman. The woman eyes the man suspiciously, grabbing hold of her purse. The man, disgusted, shakes his head. Not a word is exchanged between the two.
That's the opening scene in John Singleton's latest film, "Higher Learning." Critics of the movie would have the public believe a scene such as that doesn't happen in real life. But it does. It happens everyday to black men. I've seen it happen. And the fact that these same critics have dismissed this movie as unrealistic is disheartening.
It doesn't matter if a black man is wearing a three piece suit or baggy jeans. As long as he is black, and as long as he is a man, people who don't know him will treat him as if he were a criminal. It's the stereotype that a black man is menacing and distrustful that will plague him in this society.
I saw this movie twice: first with my African-American brothers and sisters, and then again with a group of my white classmates. The perspectives I heard after each viewing didn't really surprise me.
My African-American friends had only high praise for the movie. They related to various situations experienced by the African-American characters. My white friends, on the other hand, were dissatisfied with the film. To them, it was just entertainment, Hollywood style. There was nothing of value they could take from the film. Unfortunately, they were somewhat clueless of the black experience in America.
As a black woman, there was a lot for me to hold on to in the film. I related to the hardships of being black on a campus that caters mostly to whites. I have to work my way through school, while some of my white friends can sit back and let their parents pay their college bills. I often feel like I have to work twice as hard as my white friends to earn equal respect from my instructors.
The film was reminiscent of SF State. The school was multicultural and its colors were purple and gold. But one thing really stood out in my mind. There was a scene in which a black senior teaches his younger brothers and sisters about campus life at "Columbus University". He points to groups of students, separated by race, and describes them by regions. White students represent "Disneyland," Asian students make up "Chinatown," Hispanic students are "South of the Border" and the black students are in the "Black Hole." That scene looked a lot like this campus.
When I walk through Malcolm X Plaza, I see groups split up by region. Black students huddle in front of the gray wall once adorned by the likeness of Malcolm. White students sit along the concrete wall smoking cigarettes and laughing about the day's events. There are some exceptions; a black student may talk to a couple of white classmates and vice versa. But, for the most part, there is a definite division by race.
"Higher Learning" is one of the few movies that I have related to. It spoke to and about me. It is neither positive nor negative; it just takes a hard and realistic look at human interaction. It does not give a quick and tidy solution so people can walk away feeling good. But neither does life.